Suspender back coupling



NOV. 15, HAW";

SUSPENDER BACKCOUPLING Filed March 7, 1946 JACOB S. HAWIE Patented Nov.15, 1949 SUSPENDER, BACK. COUPLING Jacob S. Hawie, Bridgeport,Conn.,'assi'gnor to The Hawie. Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport. Conn.

Application March 7, 1946,, Serial No. 652,681

6. Claims,

This invention relates to improvements in suspenders andmoreparticularly to novel means for connecting the shoulder straps at therear of suspenders.

Heretofore it was customary to connect back straps by stitching them incrossed condition. Subsequently, metal members were used to allow thestraps to occupy substantially vertical positions, and later the metalmembers were pivotally connected by a rivet or the like to' allow onestrap to move relatively to the other, following movements of the. humanbody.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a back strapcoupling comprising a pluraliw of members, one or both of whichmay bethreaded relatively to the other to provide a pivotal connection betweenthe members. without the employment of tools for pivotally connectingthe members.

Another object of the invention is to supply a pivotal back strapcoupling, adapted to be formed of sheet metal or plastic. and which maybe readily assembled by hand.

With-.the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in Viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists inthe novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of the invention shown appliedto suspender straps, illustrated in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the back strap coupling with one memberarranged at an angle to the other and shown in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modification.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a still further modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 1 and 8 designates suspenderstraps connected at the rear of the suspenders by a back coupling 9. Inthis embodiment of the invention, the coupling is formed of a pair ofidentical slender sheet metal members, each consisting of a tapered endportion I0, a loop end portion II, and a neck l2. The tapered part ispreferably of wedge-shaped and provided with a pair of substantiallyparallel slots I3, for the reception of a strap of the suspenders.

The loop of one of the members includes a the curved or arcuate shapedinner edge portion adjacent the neck I2 with the ends of the arcuateparts connected by a bar I4. The other member of the coupling is alsoprovided with a curved or arcuate or inner edge portion adjacent theneck I2 with the ends of the arcuate arms connected by a bar I5. Theloops are'distorted as indicated at I6 in Fig. 3, so as to permit thebars I4 and I5 to be arranged in offset parallel relationship.

In assembling the members of this type of connection, the taperedportions of the two bodkinlike members are interthreaded through theloop portions II of one another, so as to place the bar I 5 of onemember at one side of the coupling and in sliding contact with the neckl2 of the other member, and the bar l4 of the latter at the oppositeside of the coupling and in slidable engagement with the neck I2 of thefirst member, as will be. evident from the drawing. This will provide apivotal connection between the two members whereby either may turnrelatively to the other, as is. clear from the dotted-and-dash lineshowing in Fig. 2.

The modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar to that in Figs. 1 to3, inclusive, except that the loop ll of each is substantially circularinstead of provided with one straight side bar.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the members are notidentical. One of them, I8, may be exactly like any one of the membersshown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, but the other member I9, instead ofbeing provided with a loop, terminates in a disk 20. In this form of theinvention, of course, only one member is threaded through the loop ofthe other.

From the foregoing, it is believed the construction, use and advantagesof the invention may be readily understood, and I am aware thatchangesmay be made in the details disclosed without departing from thespirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims:

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A back coupling for suspenders or the like, comprising first andsecond substantially rigid elongated members, each having a bodkin-likeelement at one end portion provided with substantially parallelstrap-receiving slots extending lengthwise of the member, the oppositeend portion of at least one of the members being provided with a loopthrough which the other member is threaded for pivotally connecting themembers, the loop having a curved inner edge portion to facilitateturning one member relatively to the other.

the loop of the second member slidably engages the opposite side of thefirst member, the loop of each member having a curved inner edge portionto facilitate turning of each member relatively to the other member.

3. A back coupling for suspenders or the like, comprising first andsecond substantially flat overlapping elongated members arranged insubstantially the same plane, each member'being provided at one end withstrap-receiving slots and at its opposite end with a loop, said slotsextending lengthwise of each member said members being interthreadedthrough their loop portions so that the loop of the first memberslidably engages one side of the second member and the loop of thesecond member slidably engages the opposite side of the first member,the loop of each member having a curved inner edge portion to facilitateturning of each member relatively to the other member.

4. A back coupling for suspenders or the like, comprising first andsecond substantially rigid elongated members, each consisting of abodkinlike element having a loop at one end, a neck and strap-receivingslots between the neck and its opposite extremity, the slots of eachmember being substantially parallel and extending lengthwise of themember, said members being interthreaded through their loop portions sothat the loop of the first member slidably engages one side of the neckof the second member, and the loop of the second member slidably engagesthe opposite side of the neck of the first member, the loop of eachmember having a curved inner edge portion to facilitate turning of eachmember relatively to the other member.

5. A pivotal back coupling for suspenders or the like, comprising firstand second substantially rigid elongated members, each consisting of abodkin-like element having a loop at one end, a neck and strap-receivingslots between the neck and its opposite end, the slots of each memberbeing substantially parallel and extending lengthwise of the member,said members being interthreaded through their loop portions so that oneside of the loop of the first member slidably engages one side of theneck of the second member, and the opposite side of the loop of thesecond member slidably engages the opposite side of the neck of thefirst member, the loop of each member having a curved inner edge portionto facilitate turning of each member relatively to the other member.

6. A back coupling for suspenders or the like, comprising first andsecond substantially rigid bodkin-like members, each having one endportion provided with substantially parallel strapreceiving slotsextending lengthwise thereof, the opposite end portion of one of themembers being provided with a loop through which the other member isthreaded for pivotally connecting the members, said loop having a curvedinner edge portion to facilitate turning of one member relative to theother member, and said other member having a substantially disk-shapedend cooperating with said loop.

' JACOB S. HAWIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Germany July 21, 1937

